‘Cell’ phones let suicidal prisoners seek help from fellow inmates

‘Prisoners are uniquely placed as they can talk about the prison experience, which the Samaritans cannot do’

LANDLINE telephones are being installed in prison cells to allow inmates to call fellow prisoners at night in the hope of reducing suicides in jail.

Around 150 cells in HM Prison La Moye, the only jail on Jersey, have been fitted with phones that prisoners can use at any time to anonymously call one of four fellow inmates who have been trained by the Samaritans.

The pioneering counselling service has been introduced in an attempt to tackle suicide rates, with each “listener” having undergone a 10-week training course.

If successful, the Samaritans are keen to see the scheme rolled out nationally.

It is the brainchild of Nick Cameron, the governor at La Moye, who said he believes inmates are more likely to talk to fellow inmates than official counsellors.

“It is an important, simple initiative and means that someone who is struggling in the small, dark hours of the morning with depressive thoughts about taking their own life can talk to someone,” he said.

“Prisoners are uniquely placed in that they can talk about the prison experience – which is something Samaritans cannot do.”

The Samaritans currently run a “prisoner listener service” – a suicide prevention scheme staffed by inmates – but it is limited to arranged, face-toface meetings.

Mr Cameron said the new scheme means “listeners are not only accessible on a face-to-face basis but also via their in-cell phones at any time of day”.

He added: “Most prison cells are locked at around 5pm and then don’t open again until 7am which means there are almost 12 hours when a prisoner is isolated in their cell.”

Any prisoner can apply to be a listener but candidates have to go through a rigorous vetting process before they are allowed to take part.

“We obviously need to be sure about their motivations for doing it and also the Samaritans need to know they are getting people who will be able to handle the job,” Mr Cameron said.

Two more prisoners are currently being trained to bring the total at Jersey to six.

A Samaritans branch prison spokesman said: “If a prisoner is struggling they might not want to be seen to be contacting Samaritans, as they might worry about being perceived as weak.

“Every call is free, not recorded and totally anonymous. There are no current plans to roll this out nationally… however, the time will come when the scheme is an integral part of the support provided by Samaritans to all prisons.”